Chappellet Pritchard Hill 2019

Tarry on the nose with bramble jam and incense. This is very smoky with steeped cherries and currants turning to sultanas. This is an extracted, dense style that will need some time to settle, yet the alcohol is noticeable on the finish and may never fall into line.

An extremely concentrated and well-structured wine, it offers flinty, toasty, tarry aromas, dark chocolate, black currant and espresso flavors on a thick blanket of fine-grained tannins that give a very firm mouthfeel. The wine has the depth and structure to age and improve for decades, as well as the track record to prove it.

Blackberries, blueberries, black licorice, ink and flowers on the nose. Tar, too. Full-bodied with plush, integrated tannins that are intertwined to pure velvet. The finish goes on and on. Wonderful balance and harmony. 2022 release. So excellent to drink now, but will be even better in 2023 and onwards.

This is a great example of mountain fruit Cabernet, from celebrated winemaker Philip Corallo-Titus and director David Frankie. Glass-staining ruby in colour; intense and concentrated, with inky waves of blueberry and cassis fruits, blocks of bitter black chocolate, velvety tannins that take their time to let the fruit out. This is a tiny production wine from the wonderful 2019 vintage (for me, flying against some of the American critics). Delicious. First time on the Place de Bordeaux, and a standout in the year’s wines. 100% new French oak.

A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill is another wonderfully evocative triumph from this family-owned Pitchard Hill pioneer. Deep garnet-purple colored, it storms out of the glass with profound scents of crème de cassis, blackberry preserves, licorice and mulberries, plus hints of unsmoked cigars, wild sage and tar. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers fantastic intensity and great poise, offering fine-grained, ripe tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and mineral laced.

Seriously fruit-laden, showing warmed cassis, plum sauce and blackberry compote flavors that are layered seamlessly, with a plush structure underneath and a backdrop of singed vanilla, sweet tobacco, violet and mocha. A big wine -- and it knows it. Best from 2023 through 2038. 3,800 cases made.

The flagship from this great estate is the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill, which checks in as a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. It has an incredible nose of pure blue fruits as well as flowers, crushed stone, fresh thyme, tobacco, and graphite. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it's nevertheless weightless and light on its feet, with wonderfully integrated acidity, polished tannins, and a great finish.